#technically the next chapter is already fully written

[annaraebananawriter]

🌹 WOE, ROSE BE UPON YE

From the next chapter of Ebott's School for Troubled Teens:

Then there was only one day left before he saw Dream again.

[steamberrystudio]

WSC - Episode One Release

Hi everyone! This release was supposed to be a little later than it is coming but a couple of Real Life events have pushed it up by about a week and a half.

Episode 1 of When Stars Collide is officially released. 🥳🥳🥳

DO NOT LOAD OLD SAVES.

I cannot stress this enough.

Old saves will break. Even if they show up. Even if you can technically load them without initially crashing the game, the saves are broken. They will eventually crash the game. There is too much new content that did not exist in the prototype for those saves to function. 

*Everything is different*

Please be sure that the correct version (1.4.3) is loading for you.  You can find this info in the lower right corner of the main menu. Some people reported that launching the game would launch the snapshot even if they had the update (this seems to be some sort of weird Itch quirk. )

The new title screen looks like this:

If this is not what your title screen looks like, you are not in the correct version of the game.

What's new?

Everything. Tons of features and additions.

New backgrounds. Flowcharts, new glossary, music room, achievements, recap screen, etc, etc, etc.

About 50,000 words of new content (combined with the previous prologue and chapter one)

If you want a full breakdown of the new content, you can click below. A lot of it is stuff that has been mentioned in updates here before.

New And Shiny Stuff (™)

Total Word count of Episode One: 83,000 words (not including the bonus scenes)

What isn't in the game right now is any content for future chapters. Future variables, future chapters, flowcharts, future CGs, etc. None of that is in the game files. 👀 Just so you know. LoL

When is the next episode coming?

Not for a few months. Please remember, though, the next episode is fully written and edited. I am already working on coding it and doing the art.

But it's a lot. 

My aim is to release a new episode every 3-4 months. But I don't know yet what the schedule will look like. This gap between Episode 1 and Episode 2 is what will show me how long to expect to take to get each episode ready without killing my art hand.

Just like before, the episode will go through a process of Patreon Beta → Patreon Early Access → Public release.

The next episode will go through a longer period of early access than this one did though. This one ended up being a bit shorter due to various reasons.

And that is it. The episode is out with all sorts of new features and things to see.

[halfusek]

i was reading the end part of abomination and was wondering three things ,1-what is the meaning of Joey changing from his real world self to his story world self ? Since it appears that joey died,does this mean that his real world self and story world self fused ?, 2-how does joey control over the story world works ? is he aware of what the story version of hackenbush has become or he is independent from joey's actions ?3 What would happen if the little devil darling cartoon has played ?

answers to all of these could potentially be "well you're supposed to come up with some interpretation yourself" but i do have things in mind as answers to these questions :)

real joey didn't die (yet), so it's not them fusing - i realize that it might be a bit confusing story joey has been created soulless however as you can see in the ending this happens

i don't mind people coming to the conclusion that story joey has real joey's soul but if you would like to hear me out on what i precisely have in mind for this

[becomes an unskippable cutscene]

so when you look through the seeing tool in batim you can see these floating gold particles

to me it's joey's soul scattered through this entire ink dimension because he is the storyteller of it and influences the way it's been made and how it functions

and that can also include some creatures

creatures that "fully" have their own soul like susie!alice don't have anything to do with him but ones that don't have a full soul of another person? or no soul at all?

the ink demon (squish) and story joey have been created but not with an use of a sacrifice

they are soulless but they are a physical manifestation of joey's soul that really has been used for creating this entire world

however he is "anchored" to his ink counterpart and that's what it stands for

that's why story joey's and bendy's "souls" join together

because in the story that joey is telling ink creatures are made/perfected via sacrifice and via using people's souls in this process - so technically story joey is "supposed" to have a soul

...yeah i know it's a bit complicated but you must understand. i'm very autistic. njknjknkjnkj

2. joey's control over the story mostly boils down to creating situations, events, enforcing themes, introducing new characters and in rare occasions tweaking character's personalities

however all of these abilities have their limits and they don't just rely on his skills as a storyteller because those aren't really that bad, there is also some ink magic fuckery involved :)

for example story joey is NOT written how he would have liked him to be - all characters become a more exaggerated/cartoonish version of themselves - and through the lense of his regret and self hatred he has made out quite an asshole out of himself

like he already was one but he's managed to make him even worse

task failed successfully

3. little devil darling. is. something, alright

it's the first bendy cartoon to exist

and yet... we've never seen any of it. it's not up there with all the other cartoons in bendy's throne room in chapter 5, nor all the other rooms inside of the giant ink machine

however. there are two things

this image is a screenshot of @lucky-dreamfisher 's theory because their eye for details really helped me with some of my own theory/headcanon crafting :)

and i agree with the conclusion they reach here - since this cartoon is missing, the very first bendy cartoon, it means that bendy is prevented from reaching perfection

and preventing joey/bendy from reaching perfection just seemed like a great revenge to come from susie!alice :) additional points for the fact that i associate "who's laughing now?" with alice since this message also appears next to boris' corpse in chapter 1

i'm not saying that story joey would have made a perfect bendy otherwise, but this way the process will never be perfect from the technical side either

but also speaking of little devil darling

there is a poster of it inside of the giant ink machine while there are no other posters

i just thought that's interesting

[enhanced-operatives-division]

Points at you. 10 and/or 11 for starstruck?

Two starstruck asks,,,,,,joy of joys,,

Part of an ask game linked here.

#10. What's an au you have for them?

Since them meeting at all is technically an AU i have 3 different ways that they do meet up. There's the one where Juniper ends up with the agency/adjacent to and ends up working with Reggie (have written a fic with this). The next one is Juniper surviving but basically going stealth and living as normal of a life as he can and ending up meeting Reggie through chance (most recent fic I've written). And then there's my personal favourite where Reginald "You're lucky my tracking skills are still up to snuff" Crane keeping himself busy after Phoenix was MIA and finding Juniper still alive (fic I want to write but haven't started mainly because it may end up multi chapter).

In terms of more AU canon bending taking them and putting them in a completely unrelated situation...I have a guilty pleasure Warrior Cats AU for IEYTD in general. Both JJ and Reggie have perfect warrior cats suffixes in their names already (Juniper and Crane) so they're called Junipersong (charcoal bengal) and Craneflight (tabby Norwegian forest cat). It's very silly but the amount of scenes I have in my mind for it...good lord...

#11. How was their first kiss like?

Augh my friend Imp wrote an absolutely excellent fic about it (tragically in the realm of unfinished Google docs) and I'm shaking their hand about it so hard. Basically Juniper kissing Reggie but he like wasn't ready/fully expecting it and Juniper absolutely panicking because he thinks he's misread every interaction between them both since they got closer. The second one is much sweeter though,,

[eilinelsghost]

Hi! This is very random but I was wondering what made you decide to structure Atandil as a series of interconnected one-shots instead of as a longfic? I really love the way you weave back and forth between timelines – was the non-linear narrative the main appeal for you? Or were you not keen on a chaptered longfic for another reason? Thank you ❤️❤️

Oh this is such a great question! So there is a short (and not very interesting answer) and a longer (hopefully more interesting one). I will give you both. :)

The short one:

I have never written fanfic at all until this series and have also never been involved in online fandom either until about a month or two before I posted Part 1. Consequently I know absolutely nothing about fic best practices or common structures, nothing about “fanon” at all, and I went into this not even realizing I needed to know how to tag things or that there were tropes writers used to categorize or describe general structures. Basically it’s just been me and my Elf obsession hanging out alone in my head for 20 years? Anyway, this story showed up one day (which is another funny story but I won’t get sidetracked on it in this post) and I basically just *needed* to get it out. Which is how we are here. To sum it up, I did a series because I didn’t know it would probably have made more sense as a chaptered long fic 🤦‍♀️ Ah well.

The longer one:

Yes, having it nonlinear was the primary appeal of breaking it up as a series. (In my know-nothing-about-fanfic-head, I assumed nonlinear meant series by default instead of chapters.)

Having it nonlinear was something I’ve always wanted to utilize in the structure because part of what it’s exploring is the whiplash of Elves interacting with mortals in this kind of timespan. It’s only about 150 years between Finrod discovering them and Finrod dying in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, which is a piddly little bit of time to a being with serial longevity for the duration of Arda.

And yes, I know there’s the passage where Tolkien talks about time passing for Elves at the same rate as for Men, but at the same time it would have to feel different, just by ratio. The older I get, the shorter every year seems - and I’m only 35. Finrod is in his 2,000’s at the time of the story so a hundred years is a proportionally small chunk that would feel quite fast, even if it’s technically passing at the same rate, because it’s such a small percentage of what he had lived already.

Hence the nonlinear structure. It gives the reader the same whiplash as Finrod is having, where all of this is happening in such a “short” span of time that it feels all crushed up on top of itself - almost as though it’s all happening at once. So you have Belen as an 18 year old running around in games and laughter one moment, and in the next he’s in his 90’s and on the brink of his own passing. It’s all at once. This aspect jumped out at me when I was reading the Athrabeth and Finrod’s like “well I was hanging out with Bëor a hot second ago” and Andreth replies with “…..buddy, he’s been dead for a…century?” Everything about this is utterly incomprehensible for Elves trying to get accustomed to mortal lifecycles in this mind-bogglingly short amount of time.

Presenting it as solo chunks also lets them function as a kind of kaleidoscope of memories, pieced together by a kind of natural association (which is why I’ve also tried to have deliberate contextual or thematic tie-ins for each, like a mind’s free association might follow). This may not fully find its landing until the epilogue, but the function of memory and *how* things are remembered is also key in this. “The life and love of the Eldar dwells much in memory,” “In memory lies our great talent”Etc.

Thanks so much for this ask! It was so fun to get to talk about this. :)

[stratocumulusperlucidus]

Fic recs but they're all wips

I'm currently reading some really good First Prince fanfictions that are in the process of being published (some are already written, some are not), and it's been really fun having to wait for the next chapter and getting notifications so I thought I'd share.

Looping Day by TuppingLiberty

Chapters: 3/?

When Alex wakes up at the Melbourne Climate Conference after meeting Prince Henry, and it's actually not the next day, he realizes he's looping time.

Common Misconceptions of Ghosting by @faketrex

Chapters: 4/7

It takes Alex several years in the residence before he meets a White House ghost.

It takes him a good while longer yet to actually realize it once he has.

(Or, five times Henry haunts Alex, and one time he doesn't.)

NOTE: This story is complete, updates will be posted Tuesdays and Fridays.

False Dichotomy by chamel /@cha-melodius

Chapters: 2/12

One of the world’s largest retailers is opening a store on his street. A bookstore. He looks down at the article in his hand again and catches sight of a phrase: “We hope that people will see this as more than a bookstore, and hope to foster a sense of community.” As if Henry Fox-Mountchristen has any concept of what community means.

Alex very narrowly does not break something.

(When global mega-retailer Mountchristen opens a new location—led by the infuriatingly attractive and insufferable Henry Fox-Mountchristen—near his LGBTQ-focused bookshop in Soho, Alex's comfortable life is turned upsided down. Luckily, he has one of his best friends to turn to: a guy he met online and knows only as H. Meanwhile, Henry is battling against his family to make a positive difference in the world and falling further in love with a man he's never met. But... what if they changed that?

Yes, it's a You've Got Mail AU. Completely written, updating Tuesdays and Fridays.)

Sweet Like Cinnamon by KarsKars

Chapters: 3/?

Soulmate Vampire AU where soulmates share senses. Alex and Henry share the sense of taste - which poses a problem when your soulmate is an actual vampire.

Hair Twined With Flowers by Thee_Maxwell / @gay-flyboys

Chapters: 3/5

Most people get used to the feeling of their soulmate flowers appearing—it’s never something that’s too intense. They show up with just a slight pain so you didn’t accidentally look down one day and find your shin had been entirely covered in a bright red bouquet of whatever flower the cosmos decided to permanently etch onto your skin.

Alex has long since made peace with his flower being a fucking type of mint. Technically. His skin is decorated in several places with long strands of lavender. They’ve all faded now, a ghost along his skin, barely visible if you weren’t looking, though they never fully go away.

or

The Soulmate Flower AU

[podfeels]

Podfeels Adapt8ion Notes: Episode 5

hello, dare again! just as a reminder for how these posts work, stagelights will be covering the notes as a whole, and if i ever have to pitch in it will be with purple text like this! with that said, lets get back into it!

just as a side note i love the pun in this episodes title. 10/10 no notes. yeah riley is a hero. anyway i want to say that i dont think i really appreciated this episode enough before now. but like i think it really serves as both a nice bit of respite after the intensity of the previous episode, and as sort of the calm before the storm that is next episode, which i think is desperately needed. 

these first couple of changes were made because roxy’s typos dont work as well when said out loud normally. we changed it to make her sound more like how someone would actually slur their words here. (also, not an adaptational change, but “librarby” is a fucking undertale reference, sarah you sneaky bitch)

narration cuts, and a bit where we changed it because we needed to kind of make the whole “june talks with 8’s” thing a bit more clear, because thats kind of a big deal.

more “call and not text” shit you know the drill. also june fucking said “cripe a doodle dandy” despite everything june is still a massive dork ass nerd.

narration cuts. moving along

this change is actually kind of significant i think, because this is completely new material and not just stuff changed or removed for the sake of replacing narration. junes feeling bad about herself and shit. so, i actually had us add this because i felt it was necessary to get some details of june moping and feeling lonely, yearning for that kind of t4t romance, in order to butter her up for terezi's arrival later on. however, i kind of regret these inclusions now, to an extent. they add a lot to the pacing of the episode, giving her a moment of melancholy at the fire. however! i forgot that she already had a "moping at how cute roxy and callie are" moment. after she wakes up from the trickster rampage retcon, in what will be our episode 7. so i did just decide we needed something, forgetting it would come later. lol.

some more roxy re-slurring, and also re-ordering of stuff for pacing.

elevatorstuck plays here, but otherwise this is fairly minor. disagree! we used the fact she mentions not wanting to narrate it in the original, and me not wanting to put sound to it in our adaptation, to justify turning this into a cutaway gag. elevatorstuck plays, yes, but the scene sound also fully cuts out at the same time. its an auditory version of a TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES - PLEASE WAIT sign. im proud of this segment and i will NOT allow it to be passed by as "elevatorstuck plays here"!

couple more narration cuts. and that’s it for this episode. fairly simple.

to add to this ending description a bit, i want to gush about what we did with the ending here because im damn proud of it. so, this ending here isnt just ending cuts. we moved the lollipop reveal to be the second to last line, to really get across that its kind of horrific that its here. calliope's trickster sucker is, in and of itself, the scary cliffhanger. and further to that end, whereas the original fic ends that chapter on just that line, i wanted to really hammer it home. so once calliope says that line, the scream from the start of Red Sucker blares out, which then leads into "wherever the breeze takes this", a track from the first godfeels fan album by ash taylor and dj terezi, which was written to be about the aftermath of the rampage. whereas the original text ends on the sucker as a cliffhanger but potential gag, of calliope going "now normally im not so crass but do you want some Hard Drugs?", in our case, with retrospect and a fandom-cultural awareness of what is to come, we took the opportunity to tonally acknowledge where this is actually about to head, and i think it turned out beautifully

_____

so thats it covered! thank you to stagelights for doing the breakdowns for these episodes! check back tomorrow for episode 6's breakdown!

[practically-an-x-man]

trying to plot the story so thought I'd ask my first question now XD since you know more about this kind of forensic stuff, if you were Ricki what would your next steps be? :)

Oooh, good question!

(fair warning, this got LONG)

(and again take all this with a grain of salt since I'm not a professional forensic scientist, it was just my major before I dropped out of college. If you plan on going deep into the science/technical side of things, I'd definitely suggest asking people who are active in the industry)

So I think there are two sides of this: how the case will proceed, and how Ricki will proceed. Those are two different things, since Ricki absolutely defied crime scene protocol in that first chapter and the forensic scientists will have a different protocol. But let's get into this!

The case: At this point, further law enforcement will be called to secure the scene. Extensive photos of the scene will be take both before any changes are made and after the evidence is identified and labeled, and these photos will include close-ups, mid-range shots, and shots that encompass the whole scene from various angles. They also will investigate well around the scene in order to identify any further evidence or directional clues. Because the scene is outdoors, they don't necessarily have a set size to make the active scene (it's a little simpler with indoor scenes, since they'll close off the room, floor, or whole building), so it'll depend on the size of the event and where potential evidence may be found. Sketches may also be drawn of the scene, as a second measure to identify interacts between pieces of evidence.

Anyway. Since Ricki and her partner were first on the scene, they should be the first to call it in as a crime scene, and should stay to keep watch over the crime scene until other enforcements arrive and the scene is closed. Technically, they should have avoided tampering with the scene entirely upon discovering it, since they aren't forensic scientists (the one exception would be if they were able to save the victim's life - medicine can supercede preserving the crime scene if it's time-sensitive), but since they haven't...

Ricki and her partner will both be fingerprinted (they should already have prints on file, but a new set will probably also be taken in case of temporary changes such as cuts or calluses), and will likely have DNA samples taken (so their DNA can be ruled out when other evidence from the scene is sampled).

Assuming it's known that Ricki entered the crime scene herself and came in close contact with the victim, she will absolutely have her DNA and prints taken, and her clothing may be confiscated as evidence for analysis (especially if there's visible blood, toxin, or other evidence staining her clothing). She will be questioned about her role in the scene, and will likely be reprimanded for diving right into the scene the way she did. She may also be given a physical exam - those are typically given to victims, witnesses, and potential suspects present at the scene when the crime occurred, but since Ricki entered the scene before it was closed and the age of the scene could not be fully determined when she did, they may choose to give her an exam as well.

As for the scene itself, all points of potential evidence will be identified and assigned a specific number. Photographs will be taken, using numbered plastic "tents" to label them as well as small rulers placed near (but not touching) the evidence to get an approximation of size. Small pieces of evidence, such as hairs or clothing fibers, will be given a number and a written description, and will be placed into a bindle. Liquid evidence will be swabbed and placed in a sealed container, which will also be labeled. Wet or bloodstained clothing will be wrapped in paper, taking care not to touch or wipe off the evidence any more than is necessary - liquids that are still wet are easier to identify than dried liquids, especially when it comes to blood or other biological substances. Evidence that cannot be transported, such as footprints or those claw marks at the scene, will be extensively photographed and logged, and will be left as intact as possible for the forensic scientists to examine more thoroughly at the scene. If possible, a small portion of the sample may be removed for lab testing (i.e. a bloodstained patch of carpet from a carpeted floor), but this depends on the substance.

Everyone who enters and leaves the scene will have to clock in with an assigned manager (someone whose only job is to record everyone who enters and leaves, and when). There is no food, drink, or smoking allowed on the crime scene for risk of cross-contamination, and all who are in the crime scene are to avoid coughing, sneezing, or even talking more than is necessary to avoid biological contamination. All evidence will also have custody forms, detailing who had the evidence at what time - you want as few different people handling the evidence as possible, to reduce the risk of loss or cross-contamination. Evidence will be given to lab technicians as needed for analysis, and the scene will remain sealed until all analysis is complete (it's important that more samples can be collected as needed without the risk of cross-contamination).

The body will be strictly photographed, verbally described, and labelled before it is removed from the scene, but once it is removed it will be sent to a coroner or medical examiner. Those two are NOT the same: medical examiners have a medical degree and extensive training and are the ones you WANT to have examining the body, while coroners are elected positions that require minimal to no training.

In a city like Gotham, I'd expect MEs rather than coroners. They will determine the identity of the victim, assess any damage done to the body and label all injuries, and assess the age of the body based on rigor mortis, livor mortis, forensic entomology (for example, blowflies can colonize a corpse in as little as 5-10 minutes when undisturbed!), and other means. They will almost certainly bring in a toxicologist to examine the poison on the knives. The victim's clothing, as well as the knives themselves, will be taken as evidence for analysis as well.

Particularly if it's a large crime scene or will draw a lot of attention (this would qualify), a defined area for journalists will be assigned OUTSIDE the active scene. The information released about the case will be extremely limited at first, but news personnel are still given their own area for whatever information they are allowed to gather.

It's a PROCESS, and you can see how long this got even when I'm trying to simplify it. And of course, this is the best-case scenario as well - even with these guidelines, evidence may be missed or cross-contaminated, detectives may bring food or drink into the scene, and other fallacies may happen. Hell- one already did, with Ricki jumping into the scene, and that's bound to have some repercussions both for her and for the analysis of the scene. But that brings me to the second part:

For Ricki: She has her own piece of evidence, doesn't she? Now, technically speaking she SHOULD NOT have done that, for a variety of reasons. For one, that wasn't standard collection or identification procedure, and it could make that substance harder to identify (due to cross-contamination, age, being stored improperly, etc.). And on top of that, depending on how observant the other technicians on the scene are, they might notice that the blade was tampered with after the crime was committed, which is a wrench thrown in the plans. Either Ricki needs to fess up and face the consequences of tampering with the scene, or she could be sending the other scientists on a red herring. And it's not just the knife - her footprints, her fingerprints, lost hairs, fibers from her clothing that got caught on the scene, and any accidental nudges to other pieces of evidence could also throw off the analysis.

She needs to get this chemical identified. Forensics labs are not standardized, which is a problem with the system as a whole but benefits Ricki individually here. The Gotham City Police Department likely uses a city-wise, state-wide, or federally-sponsored forensics lab, but Ricki could take her sample to a private lab and have it analyzed... well, not off the record, but at least without the police department getting involved. There may still be contact between labs, and having analysis done on the same chemical from the crime scene could still stir up some trouble for her, but she reduces that risk by going to an independent lab.

I'm honestly not sure where she should go from there. It depends on what she wants to get out of this - is she trying to solve the case, or just get a lead on who did it so she can Nightwing up and take them down? There's only so much information she can get from having that chemical analyzed, even if the analysis turns out to be successful. I'd say from here, her best bet is to try and lay low, follow the forensic examiner's lead, and get her story cleared - being reprimanded or written up is still better than having her cross-contamination misinterpreted and being seen as a potential suspect. It helps that her partner saw her interact with the scene, having that witness strengthens her alibi even if the situation is a little messy overall.

And of course... this is Gotham. It's a fictional city, and a city that's known for having superpowered crime on the regular. They may very well have differing procedures and responses to the ones we have here in the real world. Forensics as a science is constantly undergoing revisions and is subject to human error in a vast multitude of ways - it might benefit your worldbuilding to think about how analysis may differ in a science-forward, superpower-adapted world like this.

[conundrumoftime]

2023 fic round-up

Total works: 26 plus two old fics I uploaded from 2004 and 2008, across 6 fandoms

Fics I started writing on the power of irresistible vibes hoping a cohesive plot would turn up and it did:

Banquets have burned for you - Haladriel, M, written for eastwynds for the Haladriel fic exchange. The second time I have leaned heavily on Aeschylus for fanfic (first was years ago for Battlestar Galactica which lends itself very well to Greek myth and tragedy, but it worked for Numenor too). I am slowly coming round to writing a sequel for this one next year some time.

Say it like the sunrise when it’s talking to the fog - Celeborn/Glorfindel, Silm-LOTR, written for @yletylyf for the Trick or Treat exchange. Saw the pairing on a pinch hit list and the vision struck me like some sort of revelation. This was so much fun to write!

Things I wrote this year that I would not have seen myself writing:

Longfic: Shadow-Bride, Haladriel, now at 30 chapters and nearly 170k words. I have always been a shorter fic person and haven’t done epics and I am so pleased this one’s still going fine. It’s helped to have the basic plot already planned while the space around that structure has let me develop it as it’s gone along. This fic is my beloved precious baby.

Mpreg: technically (because it’s a shapeshifting Sauron taking the form of Galadriel), in To hold all the promise of blue-velvet dark, TROP, Celeborn/Sauron. I am pleased with how much this one stayed ambiguous w/r/t whether Sauron was indeed doing this to get to Galadriel or whether he started off with that intent but just got more into it than he'd planned, one thing led to another, etc etc. I think probably the second one.

Favourite AO3 tag used this year:

'Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as a metaphor for the pain at the heart of your marriage' on Softest of Tongues, Silm-LOTR, Galadriel/Celeborn.

Things I couldn’t get enough of writing this year:

Noldor-Sindar drama. I just. It’s so compelling, and I think all? of the elf/elf pairings I’ve written use it as background somehow.

Celeborn/Sauron - like @liminal-zone I have gone fully off the deep end with this one. It’s been a speed run from “haha what if THIS crackship?” to “please be seated for the 57-slide Powerpoint presentation on how It All Makes Sense.” Started when I wrote a Twitter Haladriel promptfill where Sauron referred in passing to “your pretty Sindar prince” and, well, here we are.

Galadriel and Celeborn’s marriage: I have many thoughts about established relationships as fandom ships which are for another post, but, this one’s got a lot of intriguing hints in the canon plus Noldor-Sindar drama plus more ways to write about Galadriel so I am very into it now.

Trying to fit Celeborn into Rings of Power canon, which led to the whole series offics with half-Maia Celebrían being raised by a Celeborn who knows that and is a good dad to her while working through some things himself.

Individual bits I was really pleased with:

Description of Annatar, the only time I’ve written him: [Celeborn] thinks of tiny, whirring cogs, all turning in perfect precision; of fine metal filigrees making up each fibre of Annatar’s hair, of his skin as some kind of silk stapled into place at the seams. Rarer gifts than gold, Celeborn/Sauron, Silm.

Maedhros in my Third Kinslaying Elwing/Maedhros fic knowing how to do a double hip carry for baby twins: It would make every nightingale sing, Silmarillion.

Modern-day Sauron in Blood Sugar (Haladriel) having a print of Caravaggio’s ‘David with the head of Goliath’ on his wall - the painting in which Caravaggio, in exile and facing a death sentence for murder, painted the severed head with his own face as a gift to the cardinal who could grant him a pardon.

Sauron in Tar-Mairon of the Shire (TROP fluff) as the Lord of Gifts giving away presents on his birthday, Hobbit-style.

Strangest anon hate comment:

Among all the “ugh kys freak” comments which do get a bit repetitive after a while, the one that accused me of ‘pretending to be a multishipper’ stands out. Wut.

Fandom resolutions for 2024:

I’m staying away from goals around fic completion or targets because that doesn’t work for me. Instead, I’m making more of a conscious effort to write and enjoy the things I like the way I like them. This is a pretty basic fandom tenet and I shouldn’t need reminding, really, but sometimes in polarised, fighty corners of fandoms or places where there’s a lot of fanon it can feel like anything outside fandom norms will come across as starting discourse, and there’s nothing more stifling to writing and generally having fun in fandom than wondering “what’s it going to sound like I’m saying here?” all the time.

The other fics:

The Stars My Destination, Babylon 5. Bester thinks about the nature of death.

Life After Death, Alias - wrote this in 2008. found it in my old LJ archives and uploaded it this year.

When all the leaves are gold, Silmarillion, Galadriel/Celeborn. Everything is fine in Doriath. Everyone is happy in Doriath. No you can't leave.

All that Glitters, TROP sequel to that - where Celeborn has been for the past several centuries.

Civil Twilight, TROP, Haladriel and Galadriel/Celeborn, continuity fits with the previous two fics, I love this one and am so pleased with how well it worked.

Changeling, Silmarillion, Fourth-age Maglor. Wrote most of this in 2004 (it's old enough to vote!) and never finished or posted it because the Tolkien fandom used to be terrifying to me; finished and uploaded this year.

A green thought in a green shade, TROP Galadriel/Celeborn, another 'where has Celeborn been?' angle.

Made of sterner stuff, TROP, Disa, motherhood, ambition, dwarf culture.

So Wide a Sea, TROP Haladriel and Galadriel/Celeborn. Wrote this near the beginning of the year and then said afterwards that it was kind of fun to write Celeborn but I probably wouldn't be doing it again. [comedy trombone noise]

All the kinds of alive you can be, TROP, and it's Celeborn/Sauron but Sauron in the guise of Galadriel so - pairings are messy. I was playing around with doing a longer 'what if Sauron took the form of Celeborn' thing which I'd done a bit in Shadow-Bride and then thought "wait..."

I have loved flowers that fade, TROP, Haladriel, went in a bit heavy on the Athrabeth.

Suo Gân and Arda Sahta, TROP, baby half-Maia Celebrían being raised by Galadriel and Celeborn. I got so yelled at for writing these and at one point I had multiple anon hate comments on AO3 and people self-righteously condemning Those Haladriels on Twitter, which given it's G-rated fic about a baby which was all correctly tagged and not compulsory reading was I feel a bit of an overreaction.

As little might be thought, a followup to those with Celeborn talking to Elrond about fatherhood.

Weighed against our future, TROP. Haladriel 'missing scene on the road to Eregion' fic.

The turn of the tide, TROP, 4th-age Haladriel angst.

Though I sang in my chains like the sea, TROP, Haladriel, gapfiller for ep2 and their time on the raft.

And white winter, on its knees, TROP, little Haladriel 'what if she accepted the raft proposal' fic.

[drstonetrivia]

Chapter 208 Trivia

Brody-Os! Part of a complete breakfast.

Magma is posed here like Senku is in the manga volumes' character introduction pages. He's also next to Senku's two best friends rather than Nikki and Yo.

I don't think it means anything but Magma did beat Senku this chapter… Is Magma the replacement for Senku? 🤔

We finally see Joel's arm, and it does seem to be fully functional given he's rapidly weaving donuts between Luna and Yuzuriha (while blushing, because he still hasn't gotten used to women).

I think this implies that broken/crushed bones heal similar to piercing wounds.

The mathlympics coincides* with the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, and the little icons on the banner they faxed are based on the ones Japan used for the sports.

*Technically the closing ceremony was a few weeks ago but the manga was on break.

This panel is interesting: either they're saying this person was revived 51st in Corn City and had the number written on him, and that it stayed on his skin despite having been written on the outer/damaged layer of stone, or that tattoos don't count as healable injuries.

This could mean that the petrification only heals life-threatening injuries, as Soyuz's head scar and now this tattoo (technically the body treats the foreign ink as an infection of sorts) have stayed.

This does imply Kaseki's arthritis was considered life-threatening though…

If the number on the soldier's arm was in fact his revival number, then the population of the world is probably close to Dunbar's number already, since 51 + 75 = 126, plus the Spaniards, making the total Earth population ~150.

The corn harvest here may be telling us Corn City has been back up and running for the last 60-100 days, as that's about as long corn needs to grow. If we assume the start date is October 1st, then it would be around late November/early December now.

(It could also be much earlier if this corn was still the corn growing naturally over the last 7-8 years, rather than them planting it.)

Just for fun I compared the ring size to Kinro's thumb width and I think it's accurate, at least it is for my hand. His hand is a little smaller than I was expecting though…

(0.5 * 33.6 = 16.8mm if you want to check your own thumb!)

Just because nixie tubes are cool, this is how the calculator number display looked. Depending on the noble gas/gases they filled it with, it could be orange-yellow, blue, or purple-pink.

(They should also have 12 pins on the bottom, one for each number+decimal point+1 anode)

Gen mentions they're crossing the Indian Ocean, so I guess Math City is considered established now. The next ones are Rubber City and Aluminum City, but since they're both across the Indian Ocean from India, they could be going to either one of them. Rubber is closer, however.

The scrawny scientists are fine, but Magma is too big for his contestant podium and has to straddle it.

Magma's studying payed off, he can read numbers!

Ukyo's such a good teacher :)

The calculator itself is a 32 bit floating point calculator, has four functions (+, -, *, / ) and with a display that shows 12 digits, the sign (positive or negative numbers) and status (for example if a number is too big to display or some other error).

The name on the calculator, Senku Intelligent - 1, may be a /very/ loose reference to the TI calculators you likely used at school, though "TI" stands for "Texas Instruments" rather than "Texas Intelligent".

These candies Minami's has next to her are definitely corn syrup based, and are probably getting stickier by the minute because sugar candies should be stored in an airtight container and that looks like an open jar.

If anyone's confused by how Ryusui Bank works, I believe the plan is to add and subtract any transactions people make and save their totals on the calculator, or keep a paper record of it (=ledger). It's entirely trust based, there's nothing of physical value being traded.

The time difference between India and California is 12 hours 30 minutes, so it's probably mid-morning for the ones on the Perseus and evening for the ones in Corn City, going by the skies shown.

From what I could tell, all the magnetic memory parts were basically exactly as they described them, including the little history lesson Senku adds on page 8. There just wasn't much more to add! (I know I said this before but I loved this chapter haha)

[watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees]

Oh and one more:

(10) which characters do you personally dislike most from [project]? elaborate on why, bonus points for how impassioned your answer is.

@3-2-whump

from this ask game

Actually, this one I can answer immediately without thinking about it much! (-> goes on a rant)

The Julius and Carter story is completely spoiled under the cut (I've spoiled it already and it's no secret how it ends but still)

It's Carter. It's her, so much so, that I couldn't finish up the story that has a chapter and a half left only (and it's mostly written and done), because I needed to take a break.

A lot of factors played into this, the first one being that I wrote the prequel, before fully finishing the main story with her. And the thing about the prequel, is that it turned out amazing, but it elaborates deeply on the reason why Julius (the antagonist, evil vampire, my favourite child) is going to kill her (she killed his newly turned vampire boyfriend, RJ, who's also my baby).

Now, another thing, is that I have a bit of a, uh... problem when it comes to antagonists in fiction, that is to say, I'm usually rooting for them (that's how whump happens, when villains get to be bad, duh). And in this particular case, I also kinda agree with him for wanting some sort of revenge (he's not going the honorable way about it, doesn't hold the higher ground etc. as I've mentioned, he ISNT a good person, he just has a point).

So now I'm there, agreeing and rooting for Julius to win, and Carter is the main character in his way, which sucks for her at best. Her very presence annoys me to death (she isn't annoying she's actually really cool, she's inspired a lot by Dean Winchester).

She's also a professional vampire hunter, and anyone could tell you, that ever spoke to me (slight exaggeration) that I'm obsessed with vampires and not quiet about it, so that also doesn't help poor Carter here.

And I could technically finish and post her chapters, but it'd be so painfully obvious I don't even like her I'm not going to until this subsides (note to self: don't read the prequel again? that doesn't help picking up the thread of the story where I left off).

The main takeaway I have from this is that I shouldn't write the hot villain's backstory before finishing the actual one, for my own sanity next time.

TLDR: Carter killed RJ, I don't like that (I made it up and wrote it down) and I have some issues.

[alterchaos]

Hi everyone! I’m back with another update!

After watching the poll this past week, I am happy to officially announce that Alter Chaos will be continuing in writing as a full and complete story!

I’m honestly so excited to put my attention and effort into making sure this story is written with proper love and care. I feel like a novelist! ♡ Since I no longer have to put equal focus on the art and visuals, I plan to really take my time plotting everything out, closely revising my pieces, and sharing a wider range of stories to help build the world and central lore better. With that in mind, there are a few specific things I want to point out:

1. I would like to go back to the drawing board on most elements concerning Seven Rings and the Moonbeast Saga. I won’t be altering the central plots but I was never fully satisfied rushing through these stories given the limitations the technical/art focus placed on my imagination. Seven Rings especially needs more attention, as I originally planned to go through every boss and adventure with Sinbad and Ali Baba, but rushed it for the sake of continuing the following saga. I even want to rewrite the saga’s ending to be more in line with this structure and to be a proper build up for what follows, so only expect the original pieces to be posted after I get to that more as a bit of behind the scenes than anything.

Moonbeast, thankfully, just needs some tweaks and rewrites to the script apart from the arc that was already posted (Roses - Tears). The central plot for this saga in particular has gone through MANY changes and variations since the beginning of this series. For instance, I ditched the Chip/memory plot in favor of a more unique storyline concerning the mysteries of the world known as Gaia (I’m especially excited to reveal more details on that). I need to go back with these ideas and properly lay them out, every detail, to ensure this saga maintains structure and a more natural sense of progression.

2. Since I will be reworking these sagas, I would like to pick up all the way back at the start, following Tale of Two Brothers and work from there. I had already written the immediate next episode/chapter and plan to post that alongside a drawn one following Party Hardly. From there, I may not write a full chapter for EVERY episode of Sonic X, but most, including some brand-new tales to add to the mix.

As we work through these stories, I also plan to write smaller side chapters called Mobius Adventures. These will revolve around side games such as Sonic Rush and Sonic Riders, or even little unique stories such as Silver eating a chilidog for the first time or Chaotix detective/band shenanigans or Eve helping out in the town etc. I want these stories to flesh out Mobius as a world not too far removed from our own despite the crazy adventures. It will also help more pivotal and central plot elements hit that much harder (muehehehee♡).

3. I can’t promise a weekly schedule, so I will be posting when I feel like it from now on. One week I may be free and want to write 3 chapters and another week I may be offline. Who knows. What matters is enjoying the adventure and having fun! ♡

4. Just because this path won the poll doesn’t mean I will never draw or post things such as random pages or character art. They will just be rare. I at least plan to share what I already sketched out when I post their respective chapters and will also be finishing a certain chapter (coming soon) in comic format since I was almost done, it’s my favorite episode in the show, and the physical comedy would be lost in writing.

5. I will release a couple posts/documents in the future laying out a proper timeline for the series as well as important lore elements to help readers keep track of the world and plot at large. I’m also learning more about how Tumblr functions as a site and may be experimenting with extra blogs/sites to create pages or “tabs” to help organize everything. If any major changes are made to my blog, I will be sure to send updates to help you all locate where things have moved. My goal is to make chapters as easily accessible as possible rather than being forced to scroll through months of posts.

That’s all I have for now. Thank you all for reading and supporting this series and I will see you all in the next post! ♡

[talonslockau]

Happy New Year's Eve!

I've been in the process of writing Embrace of Locked Talons for several years by this point - I first posted the first 6 chapters, plus the prologue, on February 9th, 2022 within the confines of a small circle of friends. It was only after I finished it with the epilogue on April 7th, 2023, that I considered going public with it. I've always written primarily for myself and my close friends, making this my first foray into fandom as a whole.

And what a foray it's been! Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who's liked, commented, reblogged, followed and asked on Tumblr - knowing even one person likes my writing keeps me so motivated, let alone so many more. And a thanks to those who have liked, commented, and bookmarked on Ao3 as well!

It's been a great 2023 - but I know you're all eager to know about my plans for 2024 now that Fire and Ice is fully released. I've got a lot to say - so I'll be putting it all under the cut.

First, I want to say that Forest of Secrets will be significantly darker than Fire and Ice, and a fair bit darker than in canon. I will label everything with trigger warnings, as well as chapter summaries on AO3, but I want to mention it in advance because I know that Fire and Ice was fairly lighthearted compared to canon.

I also have some bad news - I've been rushing out Fire and Ice, mostly because I'd technically already posted it for my friends and wanted everyone to be on the same page. However, posting once a day (or three times a day, in the case of this past week) isn't sustainable with my writing pace, especially since I'm still not finished with Forest of Secrets.

For that reason, I will be posting Forest of Secrets once a week on Mondays. If I get Forest of Secrets done and move on to the (still unnamed) last book before the end of the year (which seems likely) then that may change to twice a week or another end-of-the-year blitz; but I make no promises on that regard if something unexpected happens. I'll be posting the allegiances, prologue, and Chapter 1 tomorrow, the first day of the New Year!

Art will be moving to being posted on Fridays, so there will still be new content twice a week. I plan to finish the elders (Smallear, One-eye, and Patchpelt) first - after that it's likely to be all the warriors, including those that have newly graduated :)

Speaking of new warriors, I'm very excited to announce something I've been planning since I first decided to go public with my fanfic, which only became possible in 2023. You've all surely noticed some of the 'new' faces in Thunderclan, including Dewpaw, Cedarkit, and Cherrykit. While I've given some - such as Peppermask and Mistspring - their own names, there are those who I just can't decide on the best name for.

So I'm going to move the decision to you all, the people! I'll be making Tumblr Polls for most of the newly grown up faces as well as some old ones with a few options based on both legacy names as well as suffices that I feel fit the characters' personalities best. These polls will be posted on the last Wednesday of the month, so the winner will be decided on the first Wednesday of the next month.

I'll clarify that not all names will be decided in this way - for instance, I've already decided on Cinderpaw's warrior name, one that I think everyone will agree suits her perfectly. However, I can preview the first name that will be polled on - Dewpaw, Thunderclan's lovely healer apprentice.

I think that covers everything I want to announce right now. Thank you all once again for your support, and I'll see you next year!

[dangerous-drabbles]

update

i've been putting off writing this, but i can't exactly not, so... i'll try and make this brief.

in short: i've had an epiphany.

(tl;dr at bottom)

i've been writing/brainstorming this fic since november/december last year, and since then, my ideas and understandings of the show and it's characters have evolved. and with them, my plans and understandings for iwf.

i want to be clear: this is not me saying i'm done with iwf, or going on some long hiatus. in fact, it's more the opposite.

having graduated, with summer in full swing, and feeling more sure than ever about where i want to take this fic (as well as remaining fully invested in this fandom), i plan to do more writing than ever before B)

that said: something needs to change.

this fic has been, and continues to be, my baby (besides my ever-growing, yet rarely spoken of, tmnt iteration) for most of the time i've been active in this fandom.

i've long struggled with motivation for big writing projects, but i am resolved to keep with this one because i have a story worth telling. will it be worth reading? who's to say!! (i hope so /gen)

but, as you might've noticed, my more recent updates (especially around the end of arc I) were... bad. maybe not bad-bad, but still bad from a 'technical writing/story' perspective. i struggled a lot with them, and i think that really shows.

i've was trying to figure out why its come to be this way while pushing forward by forcing myself to write, but that didn't work. it wasn't until this week, tuesday, when realization struck me (while watching a video essay, lol).

it made me realize a big part of what was making me unhappy was something i already knew, an issue underlying the fic (and my writing style) as a whole.

with this in mind, i can't keep going forward in the way i had planned.

i'm not gonna go back and change arc I. while the problem is there, especially in the later chapters, i'm early enough on that i can turn things around and (hopefully) root out the problem(s) without any major changes to what i've written/set up so far.

but to do this, i need time.

i know i know i just took a 2-3 week long break, but to pull this off, i need time to prepare and rewrite. i'm halfway through revisions for the arc II outline, and i'll need to heavily revise/rewrite several chapters, plus write some new stuff (since i'm axing the next couple i had planned/written out... rip.)

if all goes well, it shouldn't take longer than two weeks. best case scenario, i get it done in one. we'll see.

until then, i humbly ask for your patience.

as a note:

i could go deep into my inspirations for this fic, where i wanted to go originally, what's changed since then, and especially what brought me to my realization (plus the specifics of said realization) but i said i would try to make this brief, and here we are, [insert amount of words] later.

are you really surprised, though? (/lh)

[if you would like to see me talk more about that (i would absolutely always be down, i love talking about myself /j /lh), feel free to shoot me an ask. in fact, i would beg on my hands and knees, if i were not a silly guy who lives on your computer (/j)]

(tl;dr -- i am not done writing iwf. however, i had a realization that led to me reevaluating my writing and determining that i need to rewrite/revise my arc II outline, and edit/revise/completely rewrite the next several chapters.

this means i am planning to take another week or so off (i am sosososo sorry) to iron everything out and get ahead.

this whole post was me trying to explain the reasoning behind this decision, with an underlying sense of desperate patheticism to match (/j /lh).)

to conclude, i want to say thank you so much for your support, silent or otherwise, from all who have read and (hopefully) enjoyed this fic thus far. i genuinely couldn't do it without you (yes, sun, this includes you /lh.)

especially to my frequent commenters, who i promise i do see and appreciate. you guys are the real mvps <3

i have some really big plans for iwf, and i hope you'll stick around to see them come to fruition (:<

[isabellehemlock]

WIP Tag Game

I was tagged by the phenomenal @astrabear to share the first lines of my WIP’s - because as she said, “because you're active in multiple fandoms and I want to know what you're up to.”

I seperated them by a few categories, but first, for anyone else who might like to play along: @asunlovingde @fablesdelightme @prouvaireafterdark @peri-helia @spacewitchqueen (yes this is me shamelessly trying to get a sneak peek at the Rockstar AU <<;) - but of course, as always, no pressure implied <3

My current already posted WIP’s

Mark of Cain (almost done!) - my Cult AU TOG JoexNicky fic that was technically supposed to be done in March, and then holy heck several illnesses and my poor mom’s health, and etc etc I’m that far behind, but almost ready for the next chapter update, and just a few more to go.  Fingers crossed mid July now!

Nicky felt the rush of blood around his ears drown out the horrible gurgling sounds beside him, yet still his eyes were heavy, half hooded, as he swayed a little from the adrenaline seeping out of him.  His bent legs cramped beneath him, trying to signal that they needed relief from the seated pose he was in, but no internal message could reach him now.  He blinked at the dull ache from his lower half, felt the warmth of the blood that had sprayed onto his bare side dry into sticky streaks.  But he had been covered in so much worse from Cain in the past - what was a little blood in comparison?

Pretty Ballads Hide Bastard Truths - a Witcher prequel featuring Calanthe x Eist (hasn’t been updated in fourteen months, but not abandoned, promise!  Just a lot of life and fandom events in between, whoops!  But I genuinely hope to finish it mid summer)

The island of Hindarsfjall was Eist’s favorite.

Though it was the smallest in the archipelago of Skellige, it was the most vibrant one this time of year, with thick foliage and overgrown vegetation.  The perfect place for a teenage boy to explore and roam in the dense, thick, cluster of trees that kept the worst of the summer heat off of his pale skin.

But it was the fjord, not far from the temple of the Great Mother, Freya, that once again beckoned Eist to the jagged edge on the northern side.  It formed the best jumping off point into the warm spring below, and though bottles of the healing waters were given to visitors (in exchange for a small donation to the temple), a young man in his fourteenth summer found it perfect for blowing off steam.

My soon to be posted WIP’s

“What a great start to our partnership” - DantexAimes (Fast X) (I had genuinely meant for this to get written over the weekend, whoops, but it has been started at least - fully outlined, too!  Special shout out to both @cosima-nova & @you-came-back for their lovely feedback and excitement). 

Dante slipped on the gun strap over his stiff shoulders, the morning workout had left his muscles feeling a bit sore, but it kept him primed for the kind of jobs his father needed him for - and frankly, that alone was worth some of the suffering.  It just felt good to be needed, to be acknowledged, in any capacity, and if that required a little pain along the way, then so be it.

Fandom Event related

“Untitled FTH fic” - Steddyhands - okrrr the only reason I haven’t started writing this one yet (because it’s already outlined, has some dialogue, and I’ve legit been editing scenes in my dreams lol), is because I just know that once I start, I won’t stop, and I’m equally desperate to get one long fic done before diving into another one but SOON, so soon!!  This one is gonna pour out of me the second I start and I can’t wait to deliver it for my lovely bidder and friend @vexbatch - expected upload date: July

@iwtvbigbang x3 - not only have I had the privilege of organizing this with two other mods, but I’m fortunate enough to have snagged three authors and am excited to make some custom art for them soon <3 - posting dates: October

OFMD RBB x2 - I made two pieces, and two authors selected one of each and I even ended up betaing one of them and I cannot wait to share the pieces and the stories!  I ended up getting so inspired by the some scenes shared by a second that I ended drawing another piece, too lol - posting dates: June & July

Steddie BB x2 - I just got paired in this one, and am so excited to share that I’ll be making some sweet summertime love art, as well as an Anastasia AU piece (I feel giddy about it!!) - posting dates: October-December

IWTV Art Coven group project - just wrapped the tarot, and working on the calendar next - proceeds go to charity - posting dates: November

Alsoplusalso - my first comic is coming in a few weeks (but to keep it a surprise for the giftee I can’t say more atm)

ANNNND - launching an interest check in October for an IWTV Zine that myself and the IWTV BB mods will be running (super stoked!)  All proceeds go to charity as well 

But other than that, same ol’ same ol’ lol

[bottlecaprabbitgames]

Weekly Update for 20 March, 2023

howdy folks! welcome to the next weekly update!

Mind Games: Trepidation

So, as we all know, the full Chapter 5 Update was released early last week! I'm so glad a lot of y'all really seemed to enjoy it, it's definitely my favorite chapter I've written so far! And the feedback has been SUPER helpful for when I go back and do more edits in the future.

I have also started my Chapter 6 roughdraft writing! I had a piece of feedback that made me really think about pacing, so I actually started Chapter 6 kinda late given everything going on IRL and because I took time out to rewrite my Chapter 6 planning to make the pacing flow better. I am very happy with it now, and how writing is going so far!

But, I know you're wondering, Cy how is writing going so far? PHENOMENALLY! I've actually finished the roughdraft to Scene 1 and I'm halfway through Scene 2 already! The word count is sitting at about 3,000 words (I was going to hit 3,000 fully today but I'm a bit out of it, we'll get to that later down the post), and I've already got quite a few areas picked out to add fun customisation, important customization, and some places where your choices will affect things down the line... teehee. But, yes, things are going GREAT so far! There's only 4 scenes planned for Chapter 6, so technically we're actually almost 50% of the way through the initial roughdraft. Pretty crazy!!!

I've also decided I will keep the Mind Games series as a free series through CS. Mind Games is intended to be a coding-heavy game given I want there to be so many places where shit can change from earlier decisions, and I do not want to change to an entirely new program. CS has everything I want for Mind Games, and thus it will be staying there.

Now, real life stuff... I'm not gonna lie, I have had a really tough week getting any writing done. Hell, getting anything done. And next week will be more of the same. My mom went to the hospital on the 13th with a serious skin infection that has spread down her leg. And, after a week of antibiotics, things still hadn't gotten better so she had surgery this Sunday. I also have two serious cardiac tests on Wednesday, and it's basically a bunch of shit happening at once. I will try to keep working, but progress might be slow for the end of March.

Okay, that's all I got! Have a great week and be safe!